Mom, we don't feel good

We all know when our pets feel in top form, and when they are under the weather. They have moods just like we do. But the past few days had me scratching my head and trying to decipher the signals.

Jake stopped eating on Wednesday. The Little Shit, his official nick name or LS for short, would not touch his dinner. Then he stopped taking treats. So I tried a different food, eggs, and that didn't work either. By Friday morning, Gracie wouldn't eat and a giant red flag was waving in front of my eyes. The Diva never, ever refuses food. She is a food hog. I've explained to her that she is going to lose her girlish figure, but that doesn't stop her from eating whatever she can get. When Gracie wouldn't accept a favorite treat, I knew we had a problem.

I googled the problem, and found four possible answers, the first being "take the dog to the vet to make sure there is no acute or chronic illness". So I made an appointment. One of the other answers was boredom with the food. In retrospect, I think I have 3 issues in force: Jake at times will let Gracie be completely dominant and this affects his appetite. I think he did indeed have some type of mild bug that passed to Gracie (the vet says this is rare, but hey, why not?). The third reason is they were bored with dog food that I pay $62 for a 32 pound bag. Say what? Do you not know how good this is for you?

The recommendation from the vet was to switch to either rice and cottage cheese (Jake doesn't like cottage cheese, tried that in the past), or sweet potato and baked chicken breast, no skin, no fat. Off I go to the store to buy chicken breasts ($4.98 for a pack of 3), and sweet potatos (fresh, $.88 a pound, resulting in $2.82 for 4). But of course they both dived right into this mix, butts wiggling, smiles on their little faces. The vet visit was $73.

Love and companionship from my two furry kids: priceless.
Linda

Been Awhile...

I have been busy, believe it or not. And every day I say to myself (yes, I do talk to myself and the dogs, constantly) you must post on the blog! Dang. Took me long enough.

The following are mixed media canvases. Cathy and I are on a roll, and just having a whole lot of fun with these. If you are artistic in any way, I highly recommend trying mixed media. We are using scrapbook papers, stamps, rub-ons, craft paint, and Mod Podge. Also, old book pages, dictionary pages, and various embellishments that we have collected over the years. And that, my friends, is the good part. I am using up old stuff. Loving this.

Currently, these are my two favorites. And the fun part is that even though we are using the same techniques, Cathy's style is totally different than mine. So when we hung them up in Allyscraps yesterday, you can immediately tell which are mine, which are hers.

Enjoy yourselves.
Linda

The Dogs Have It

I did not crop or adjust these photos for a reason. Please look at that top photograph. That is my king size bed. With a Tempurpedic mattress that I am still paying off. See the cute little terrier mix? He rules the bed. It is his new title. I, mom, the one who feeds them and pays the bills, is lucky to be able to sleep on this bed that is unpaid.

When we reach the evening hours and it's time to read or watch tv in bed, Jake confiscates the stack of 3 pillows on the left. He knocks them down to his liking, walks around in a circle on top of the pillows, and makes his nightly nest. I have never had a dog do this before. Gracie will just flop down wherever she feels comfortable, but not Jake. In particular, he likes the old feather pillows. Really prefers them to the foam.

These photos were taken in the morning, obviously after daylight. The double windows in my bedroom face the bed, and the dogs like to lay, just as you see them, and gaze out the window. One never knows if a giraffe or elephant might enter their line of vision. Or a leaf. Everything deserves a good, strong bark. Should an ambulance go by on the busy road behind us, a long howl is in order. Until mom yells to shut up.

What would life be without them? Very dull. Lots of love in my babies.
Linda

A New Hobby

Like I don't have enough to do. This is all Cathy's fault. I have always been interested in art journals and altered type canvas, but felt intimidated. Not wanting to look like a complete fool, I never attempted either project. Then Cathy got on a kick, and of course, I caught the fever. So today I took a class.

You start by painting the canvas. Then you add papers or what not with Mod Podge, a product I highly recommend. It dries fast, allowing you to move to the next step faster. If you look closely, you can see that there is music paper under the cream paint on her torso. Those are vintage book pages under her head. I used cheap craft paint for the head and hair. There is only one coat on the torso, so the music shows through. I think I stopped at 3 coats on the face.

I'm pleased with this first attempt, but now know what I would change for the second canvas. The background is too dull, needs more color if I am not going to be vibrant with the doll herself. Anyhooo, it was fun and I learned the technique, which is what taking the class was all about.

Another hobby. Sigh. Not enough hours in the day.
Linda

Contented Puppies

We have had an adjustment in the past 10 days. The doggie day care that I occasionally used closed. On the advice of another dog mom, I tried one that has been in business for over a year. It was a good decision.

With the cold weather, I have difficulty walking. Doesn't seem to matter how I dress, the cold seeps into my back and hips and makes life not particularly nice. So what do you do with bored dogs? You take them to a doggie day care that has plenty of room, and plays with the herd to boot. Another plus: they do baths and nail trimming.

Back up to last week. The weather was very nice, although windy. Temperatures were in the mid to upper 50's, and I decided it was bath day. Thinking that my two weirdos were in the living room not paying attention to me, I pulled the stack of dog towels out of the linen closet to put in the hall bath. Big mistake. Jake saw me, and that friends was the end of that idea. He would not come near me for 5 hours. I tried everything: treats, offers of a ride in the car, toys, everything I could think of. Even sat on the floor and played with Gracie. Little Shit would come no closer than 6 feet.

Yesterday I made arrangements for Puppy Playground to bathe the beasts. This woman knows what she is doing. The dogs played for over 4 hours, and THEN she gave them a bath. By the end of the play period, they were so tired, she said, they just caved. I like it!

Life is good.
Linda